I have recently rediscovered my love of burning candles! During the month of June, Yankee Candle did a semi annual clearance sale and like a good little lemming, I went and picked up quite a few. I used to like sweet scents but lately it has been more of a fresh/fruit scent I have been liking. Don't get me wrong, I still love Vanilla scents, but I think maybe more in the cooler months. Since the temperature has been in the 30°C for the past month my AC has been on a lot. I find that when the house is closed up so much the air starts to smell a little stale, so I resort to burning candles. I have tried the plug in scents from Bath & Body and I do like them but they are a bit strong. With candles I can somewhat control how much scent I am getting.

The jar candles -

Yankee Candle small and large 2 wick tumbler candles, and a car vent clip.

The small tumbler candles are supposed to burn for 35-45 hours and the large 2 wick tumbler around 75-110 hours, thats a long time! You really want to make sure you like the scent before picking up one of these ones! I managed to get the 3 small tumblers during a buy one get 2 free sale. So I managed to get all 3 for $15.99 CAD plus tax. The large 2 wick tumbler was free with a $20 spend, I think.

Catching Rays - Sharp orange and golden amber bring that great beach feeling of being warmed all the way through by a perfect summer sun. This smells so fresh and clean to me, not to strong but you can smell it throughout the room and slightly beyond.

Pink Sands - It's an exotic island escape in the beautiful mix of bright citrus, sweet florals and spicy vanilla. The perfect amount of fresh and sweet for summer!

Summer Storm - Like a storm front moving through a forest, this scent tingles with the subtle freshness of eucalyptus grounded with a hint of patchouli. Smells very fresh, and yes you can smell the patchouli! A little bit stronger of a scent but nice if the house has been closed up.

Sunset Breeze - Take an evening stroll on a beach, with scents of tropical fruits moving on the breeze, back and forth just like the surf. This one is a bit more fruity smelling than the other ones, but not to sweet.

Catching Rays Vent Clip - Smells just like the candles! I picked this up as we just went back up to 2 cars, and I got the old one! It needed some freshening up in there! I find that the car smells sort of like fresh laundry when I get in it now!

The votives -

A rainbow of votives.

The votives are supposed to burn for up to 15 hours each. I can usually get 3 days burn time out of a votive, I usually only burn them when I get home from work or on the weekend. To me that's a great amount of time, it is enough to find out if you like the scent but not to much that you are sick of it by the time it is done. I tend to stick to this size the most for that reason alone. I get tired of smelling the same thing all the time! For me votives are just a great size, you can switch up the scents so much quicker and I don't usually get sick of the scent by the time the votive is done. Not to mention that votives are a great size to store as well! The regular price for a votive is $1.99 CAD but I picked all these up for .50 cents each!

Pink Sands x1- It's an exotic island escape in the beautiful mix of bright citrus, sweet florals and spicy vanilla. I only picked up 1 of the votives because I already had a tumbler.

Golden Sands x5- Your private beach awaits, where time pauses in soft breezes of soothing sandalwood, luminous orange flower and warm tonka beans. I really like this one, when I had picked up the tumblers they didn't have this scent so I picked up a few!

Sunset Breeze x2- Take an evening stroll on a beach, with scents of tropical fruits moving on the breeze, back and forth just like the surf. Again I had a big one of this!

Catching Rays x1- Sharp orange and golden amber bring that great beach feeling of being warmed all the way through by a perfect summer sun. I thought I had picked up more of this scent, I do like it though!

Dreamy Summer Night x1- A relaxing blend of vanilla bean, heliotrope and a hint of woodiness—it spreads the subtle magic of a warm night in soft bloom. This was the only one of this scent I could find, if I could of found more I probably would have picked up more.

Windblown x2- A pleasant concoction of earthy lemon zest, white lotus, and invigorating musk, this fragrance is sure to compliment any decor. Again, the only 2 of this scent that they had at the time, I already know I like it as I have burned a small tumbler of it.

Line-Dried Cotton x2- A clean laundered fragrance mixed with a note of dewiness and a light floral breeze—the fresh scent of cotton drying in the sunlight. This one seemed like a nice light scent, I haven't burned it yet though.

Vanilla Lime x3- Smooth and refreshing … the creamy richness of vanilla with sweet cane sugar and a zesty lime twist. Fresh and sweet! Great blend of fresh lime and vanilla, not to sweet.

Bahama Breeze x4- There's cool summer refreshment in this tropical blend of pineapple, grapefruit and mango. I loved this scent last year and had a large tumbler as well as some tea lights so of course I had to pick up a couple more!

Turquoise Sky x3- Calm, salty air with hints of sea grass and musk, floats gently on ocean waves…off on an adventure beneath a bright blue sky. This smelled fresh in the store, but I am wondering if my nose wasn't overpowered by the time I smelled it? It smells a little stronger now, I will let you know after I have burned it!

I do usually wait until there is a good sale at Yankee Candle before I go a little overboard like I had done this time. And I did spread it out over a few trips, I actually didn't realize I had picked up quite so many until I was getting them together to write this post...oops.

Do you like to burn candles in the summertime? Or mostly in the cooler months?

I was recently chosen by ChickAdvisor to try out the Vichy Neovadiol Anti-Aging routine. I had not previously tried out anything from Vichy before so I was really excited to try out some new skincare, especially one that was easily accessible to me! Vichy is a brand I have seen around Shoppers Drug Mart but never picked up to try before, it's always great to try out new things! I was sent Neovadiol Serum, Neovadiol Day Cream and Neovadiol Night Cream to try out. I received the products at the end of June and have been using them everyday since, so about 4 weeks now.

Vichy - Neovadiol Compensating Complex line.

From Vichy - Vichy Neovadiol introduces the 1st Compensating Complex with key dermatological ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid and a high dose of Pro-Xylane able to compensate the effects of menopause on the skin.

I was sent the Neovadiol Compensating Complex Day Cream, Neovadiol Night, and Neovadiol Compensating Complex Serum. Here are my thoughts on all three.

The Vichy Compensating Complex Serum is to be used both morning and night, before the moisturizer. I found that one pump gave me enough serum to cover my face and neck, a little goes a long way. When you pump out the serum the first thing I noticed was that it seemed to almost have a glow to it. It isn't a runny texture, but not thick either, just kind of a nice texture to work with (ie it isn't so runny that you lose half of it before it makes it to your face!). After I had used this I noticed that my skin was really glowy, which isn't a bad thing! It does have a scent though, I will warn you, it is a tad strong. It quickly absorbs into your skin and you are ready for moisturizer.

The first thing I noticed about the Vichy Neovadiol Compensating Day Cream was how thick it was. I have not used a thick day cream before! For me, usually a day cream has been more of a lotion texture. I was worried that it would be to thick for me for use under makeup, luckily I was proved wrong. Even though it is a thick cream, it easily melted into my skin and didn't leave a heavy feeling. It is in a pot though, ewe. I used a spatula to get the cream out and just dotted it around than massaged it in to my skin. One of the first things that hit me was the scent, if you are sensitive at all to scents smell this first. The scent does linger for a bit also. I found it to absorb into my skin within a few minutes and I was ready to continue on with the rest of my morning routine. It didn't affect my makeup at all, neither wear time nor application.

Vichy Neovadiol Night Advanced Replenishing Night Care Cream -

Cooling gelified texture enriched with hydrating Aquakeep to compensate the effects of menopause on the skin during the night.

I noticed right away when I put the Neovadiol Night Advanced Replenishing Night Care Cream on that my skin instantly felt cooler! This is a great thing when you are in the bathroom doing your night skin care and it all of a sudden starts getting a little too toasty in there! The texture of the night cream is also a very different texture to what I am used to seeing in a night cream. Usually night creams are a thicker consistency than a day cream, but with the Vichy Neovadiol line it is the opposite. The night cream is actually a lighter, more gel like texture. I can't get over how cooling it feels when you put it on. I wish the day cream had the same effect! Unfortunately it has the same scent as the rest of the products in the line that I tried out, only this one seems to linger longer. My husband actually asked me what the smell was when we went to bed, he could smell it to.

I was really happy to have gotten the chance to try out the Vichy line, thanks to ChickAdvisor! I really liked how the products made my skin feel, especially the night cream. (I need to find a product that has that same cooling effect!) Unfortunately, the scent is a deal breaker for me. I am not usually sensitive to scents, but the scent of these products just kind of sticks around to long for me. BUt I do think that if you aren't sensitive to fragrance, that this would be a great line to try out for a more 'mature' or skin needing extra moisture. It has a great amount of moisture, not to much, not to little, for a variety of skin types.

Do you have any recommendations for a moisturizer that feels cooling on the skin, without a lot of scent? Or more of a fresh scent? I am not a fan of floral scents that close to my nose!

*I received the product free of charge as part of the ChickAdvisor Product Review Club.

Time for the last category I tested for the Elle Quebec/Canada Beauty Grand Prix. Back in March I told you all about getting chosen to participate in the Elle Quebec/Canada Beauty Grand Prix and gave you a look at the products and categories of the products that I was sent to blind test. Well, the testing is over and I have submitted my log book and gave my opinion on all 18 products I received. If you want to read about the introduction you can click here, Part 1 - Body scrubs here, Part 2 - Deodorantshere, and Part 3 - Face Serumshere.I received products in Body Scrub (3), Deodorants (3), Face Serum (5), and Dry Shampoo (6). I was a little surprised on what some of the products were once I was able to get all the sparkly tape off. Let me tell you I learned quickly the best way to get tape gunk off! Hint-Peanut butter and patience won out for me!

All the shiney Mystery products.

The last category for testing is Dry Shampoo -

6 Shiney mystery cans of Dry Shampoo.

As per the previous products I again tested each Dry Shampoo in numerical order. Even though I use a lot of Dry Shampoo, I only knew what one of them was! For testing purposes we were to use each product for a minimum duration of 3-5 days, over 10 days. Directions were the same for all - Shake well. Lift sections of hair and spray 15-20cm from scalp. Massage thoroughly with fingertips and style.

044 - Joico Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo -

Texture - When I sprayed this dry shampoo into my hair it felt really light, almost like I hadn't sprayed anything at all.

Absorption - Not the greatest, my hair stayed fairly flat the days I used it.

Condition of hair - My hair did feel soft when I used it.

Ease of use - Worked great at any angle, even upside down.

Scent - A nice fresh scent that wasn't overpowering nor did it last long.

Thoughts - The great thing about this dry shampoo was that it didn't leave any white cast on my hair at all. I actually wondered if maybe my can was defective! It was easy to brush/work through the hair. I did notice that my scalp started feeling itchy towards the end of the day on the days I used this. Price $30.25 CAD

054 - Redken Pillow Proof -

Texture - This dry shampoo was very light feeling on my hair.

Absorption - This one absorbed oil well but gave no volume at all.

Condition of hair - Didn't seem to give me any volume after working it through my hair.

Ease of use - Again worked great at all angles.

Scent - I loved that this had barely any scent at all.

Thoughts - There was barely any white cast at all after I sprayed this in my hair and what there was was very easy to brush out. Unfortunately , once again this dry shampoo made my scalp itchy by the end of the day. Price $24.00 CAD.

057 - Moroccan Oil -

Texture - Another light feeling dry shampoo.

Absorption - Absorbed the oils quickly.

Condition of hair - After I brushed this through my hair, my hair felt just washed!

Ease of use - Worked great at any angle.

Scent - Almost unscented, what scent there was was very light.

Thoughts - The Moroccan Oil dry shampoo did leave a white cast, but it was really easy to brush through. I loved how it made my hair feel and no itchy scalp! I even used this twice before washing my hair and it was still great! Price $26.00 CAD.

084 - Amika -

Texture - Very light feeling when sprayed into hair.

Absorption - Quickly absorbed oil and gave volume.

Condition of hair - My hair again felt clean and was shiney.

Ease of use - Worked great at any angle.

Scent - Has a great fresh scent that doesn't cling.

Thoughts - I was pretty sure on what this one was, I could see the colors at the top! When you spray this it does leave a white cast but is so easy to brush out. My hair looked freshly washed, shiney and with quite a bit of volume, when I used this even when I used it twice. I really liked this dry shampoo but it isn't easy to find in my area, nor online! Price $31.20 CAD.

188 - Herbal Essence - Naked -

Texture - It felt like I had just sprayed my hair with hairspray when I used this, sticky.

Absorption - It did an ok job of absorbing oil, once I could get a brush through it.

Condition of hair - My hair felt sticky when I used this, like 90s hairspray!

Ease of use - It did work great at an angle.

Scent - Had barely any scent, just a faint fruity scent.

Thoughts - This one also left barely any white cast, but I think its more like hairspray! Within a few hours of using this my scalp started getting really itchy, I washed my hair as soon as I got home from work! I may try this as a hairspray and see how it does for that, maybe if I don't spray it directly on my scalp it won't be itchy! Price $3.98 CAD.

236 - Matrix Total Results Miracle Extender -

Texture - Light feeling on hair.

Absorption - Worked great, I even tried it out on 4 day hair!

Condition of hair - Hair felt soft, but it didn't give a lot of volume.

Ease of use - Worked great at an angle.

Scent - Nice light fresh scent.

Thoughts - This Matrix had a great fresh scent that didn't last long at all, nor was it to strong when spraying. I did get the somewhat usual white cast but it was so easy to brush out. Price $17.42 CAD.

Once again after I submitted my log book, it showed me my favorite...even blind testing Amika was my top choice! Sadly I still haven't found any place to buy it! But luckily for me I found a few other dry shampoos that I liked as well that are available in stores for me. I also liked the Moroccanoil, Redken, and Matrix Dry Shampoos, all of which are easily accessible! Joico and Herbal Essence where big duds for me, but I had tried Herbal Essence before and didn't like it than either.

I am glad I was given the chance to try out so many dry shampoos, it's not the most glamorous product, but it is one I use frequently. I wasn't sure on any of the products, I had a good idea on one-but I thought I knew all the Deodorants to, so it was really blind testing!

It was a lot of fun participating in the Elle Quebec/Canada Beauty Grand prix and I am happy I was given the chance. I found quite a few products that I really like and will continue to purchase, and a few that I know to stay away from. I can't wait to see what products were voted favorites from all the categories, and where my favorites came in! I think they announce the winners in the Fall, I will be watching out for it! Have you ever gotten the chance to blind test anything? Did your results surprise you? Did I pick any of your favorites? Or hate its? What do you think about blind testing, would you be interested in doing it? Let me know!

When I first learned that Boxycharm was finally available to Canadians, I couldn't sign up fast enough! I had seen and heard quite a few rave reviews on Boxycharm and had wanted to try them out for awhile. But until The end of May, Boxycharm didn't ship to Canada. Boxycharm retails for $21 USD with free shipping within the US. For shipping to Canada we are charged an extra $5 USD, with the exchange rate I pay approximately $35 CAD.

As far as shipping went though, I didn't receive my June Boxycharm until June 30, still in June, but just barely! I know that I will be getting my July box late as they were holding off sending the Canadian boxes until Canada Post was a little more stable, they didn't want them getting lost or sitting for however long waiting to find out what was happening with the possible strike/lock out. So I am thinking I won't get July's box until into August as I just received notification that I was charged for the July box on the 14.

The theme for June was 'Girls Just Wanna Have Sun' - Salt in the air, and sand in our hair.

In my June boxycharm I received -

June Boxycharm for Canadians.

Cougar Beauty-Mineral Face & Body Shimmer-Diamond Kiss (£24.00)-This mineral face & body shimmer is formulated using feather-like shimmering minerals, adding a radiant sparkle when lightly brushed anywhere on the body. Great for adding a little extra sparkle to any look . This is a pretty gold shade that I think might look better on the body rather than the face as the shimmer in it is a little noticeable.

Girlactik-Precise Eyeliner Marker ($20.00)- This precision marker eyeliner's soft and precise tip is designed to create the perfect dramatic line. The formula is weightless, long lasting, water resistant, smudge proof, and lies comfortably on the eye with no pulling or tugging. I don't usually wear a lot of black eyeliner, I prefer brown, so I think I will give this to either my sister or my daughter.

OFRA-Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick-Pasadena ($19.90)- OFRA long lasting liquid lipstick is a one step full color that does not feather. It is creamy and soft in texture, moisturizing the lips and creating a long lasting lipstick effect. OMG! A lip product that isn't red in a subscription box! I have been wanting to try this liquid lipsticks for a while, but they are not easily available in Canada, now I get to, in a color I would actually wear and be comfortable in.

OFRA Oil Control Pressed Powder ($39.95)- This oil control pressed powder was designed to keep your makeup in tact all da! Perfect for oil control. Suitable for sensitive skin. This is a colorless powder that I am looking forward to trying out on my nose area, the only place I really get oily.

There was a difference between the Canadian and American boxes for June though. US received a LUX nail polish, and Canadians received the OFRA liquid lipstick. I was looking forward to the nail polish, but at least the lipstick is a shade that can be worn for everyday. Hopefully they don't start doing what the other US boxes did and start putting different things in boxes. I think that having a lot of variety is good, but than some people will get upset that they didn't get the 'one thing' that they 'could have' gotten.

As you may have noticed all of the products in Boxycharm are FULL SIZE! No dinky little sample cards of powder, sizes you can actually use your favorite brushes with. I like the fact that Boxycharm are full size products, no tiny samples. Boxycharm is by no means a cheap subscription box at $35 CAD (approx) but I do think it is worth the money as you are not getting sample sizes. Now if only the shipping to Canada could come sooner than the end of the month! We will see if the shipping time gets better!

What do you think of Boxycharm? Is it something you are interested in? I love getting mail and beauty boxes are like a little surprise present to myself every month!

Back in March I told you all about getting chosen to participate in the Elle Quebec/Canada Beauty Grand Prix and gave you a look at the products and categories of the products that I was sent to blind test. Well, the testing is over and I have submitted my log book and gave my opinion on all 18 products I received. If you want to read about the introduction you can click here, Part 1 - Body scrubs here, and Part 2 - Deodorants here.I received products in Body Scrub (3), Deodorants (3), Face Serum (5), and Dry Shampoo (6). I was a little surprised on what some of the products were once I was able to get all the sparkly tape off. Let me tell you I learned quickly the best way to get tape gunk off! Hint-Peanut butter and patience won out for me!

All the shiney Mystery products.

You know the drill about marathon posts and Pictures!

Face Serums -

5 shiney Face Serums.

Again, as per my previous posts, I tested them in numerical order. I was pretty sure on what the last 2 products where, they have pretty unique bottles. I also had a fairly good idea on 145. The instructions for each Face Serum were the same for all - minimum duration of 7 days. Directions - Apply daily, morning and evening before your regular skincare routine.

Effect on skin after 7 days - My skin felt soft, plumper and more moisturized than before.

Scent - This had a light, slight rose? scent that wasn't strong at all and faded very quickly.

Thoughts - I really loved how this made my skin feel after I figured out to only use 3 drops or so and not the entire dropper! I found that 3 or so drops was enough to do my face as well as my neck. I really like the slim, sleek gold packaging of this. The twist dropper was great as it made sure there was more than enough to use each time I opened it up. I didn't notice much difference in how my makeup applied over top of this one either. Price $230 CAD.

145 - Clarins Supra Restorative Remodeling Serum -

Texture - This one was a fairly thick cream that came out of a pump style bottle.

Absorption - Despite the thickness of this one it did absorb fairly quickly into the skin.

Moisturizing effect when applied - At first I was using 1 pump and it left my face feeling tight, once I started using 2 pumps it felt much better.

Effect on the skin after 7 days - I had a few breakouts while using this but I wasn't entirely sure it was the product. I didn't notice anything else though.

Scent - It has a light fresh scent that doesn't last at all once applied to your face.

Thoughts - I wasn't to impressed by the Clarins serum. I found I had to use what I think would be twice as much as I should have to get a moisturized effect on my skin. It also left my face feeling slightly sticky until I put on the rest of my regular skincare. Again not mush difference under makeup! Since I wasn't sure this was the cause of a few breakouts I decided to use this one up first to see if it was the reason. I am happy to say that it wasn't this serum, just hormones! Price $136.00 CAD.

191 - Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Serum -

Texture - Another thick gel in a pump bottle.

Absorption - This seemed to take forever to sink into my skin, and it still felt slightly tacky after.

Moisturizing effect when applied - I did find that my skin felt softer after applying this, just slightly tacky?

Effect on the skin after 7 days - This serum did make me break out, on my forehead, chin and cheeks.

Scent - This has a floral scent that is fairly strong to me that took a while to fade.

Thoughts - I was not a fan of the Chanel serum at all. It made me break out everywhere and the scent was just to much for me, even though I am not usually sensitive to scents. This dried slightly sticky and kind of made my face look a bit shiney. I think that this serum is best used at night as for me it just takes to much time to soak into the skin. Again no difference in makeup application. Price $125.00 CAD.

196 - Jurlique Nutri-Define Superior Retexturising Facial Serum -

Texture - this comes out like a milky cream, not to runny and not to thick.

Absorption - It absorbed fairly quickly into skin.

Moisturizing effect when applied - I only needed to use 1 pump for my face and it was enough to make my skin feel moisturized and not tight feeling.

Effect on skin after 7 days - After the 7 day trial period, my skin felt softer than before.

Scent - Another rose scented product that is strong when you first put it on but does eventually fade.

Thoughts - I liked this one except for the rose scent! I like the smell of roses, just not so strong so close! Jurlique left my skin feeling softer and feeling moisturized, now if only it didn't smell like roses. I found that my makeup went on great while using this serum, it didn't seem to make a difference in the longevity or the way it applied over it. Price $138.00 CAD

246 - Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate -

Texture - Another milky cream colored serum.

Absorption - Took a bit to absorb into skin.

Moisturizing effect when applied - My face felt kind of sticky when I first applied it but once it absorbed into my skin it left my face feeling softer.

Effect on skin after 7 days - My skin felt softer after using the Lancôme serum than before I had used it.

Scent - Finally a serum with barely any scent to it!

Thoughts - I was somewhat surprised that I liked this serum as I wasn't expecting to like it. I had originally thought that it would have an 'old lady' smell to it, happily it didn't. I didn't notice a huge difference in my skin after the 7 days other than it felt more moisturized. I didn't find any difference in how my makeup went on over top of it either. Price $99.00 CAD.

Once again, after I submitted my log book it showed me my favorite. Unfortunately for my wallet it was the first one, Swissline Cell Shock. The Swissline just seemed to work the best in the short time I used each of the serums. I think my second choice would surprisingly be the Lancôme, it's only downside was waiting for the stickiness to go away. Jurlique was also not a bad one other than the scent. Clarins only issue for me was the few breakouts which I didn't think were caused by the product. The worst one for me was the Chanel, for me the lingering scent was just to much. Add to that the fact that it took awhile to absorb and that was enough for me to not want to use it. My sister though did really like it and I will be giving her the bottle! I am curious to see if after using each of the serums up if I will change my mind about any of them? I will keep you updated in empties post as I use them up.

The Face Serum category was another one that I didn't have much experience with before this testing began, for some reason serums just never interested me and seemed like an added step. I also for some reason thought that it would make my makeup apply differently, not last as long. I am glad I was given the chance to find out that I was wrong. Since doing the testing, Face Serums are another product I am happily now including in my routine!

I was pretty sure about 3 of the 5 Face Serums I was sent and this time I was right, at least about the brand! Any surprises for you in this category? Is there a face serum you like that you think I might enjoy?

My Empties Bag filled up really quickly this time! I went through a lot of product this past month, although I was near finished quite a few last month! Not many samples this month...but the Sample Stash is still growing! I think I have an idea of how I may be able to start getting through it though, look for a post on that soon!

I am going to start off with Body stuff, the not so exciting stuff, but the stuff we all use all the time.

Hair and Body Empties I finished up in June.

Bath & BodyWorks Mahogany Teak Wood Hand Soap - We go through at least one of these a month, I only buy them when they are on sale (think $3-4 each!). I like these for keeping at all the sinks in our house, they don't dry out my hands to much and leave a nice scent behind. This scent I was not a fan of though, it just seemed to 'woodsy' for me. Glad to have it finally gone and ready for the recycle bin. Repurchase? Not this scent.

Baléa Exfoliating Foot Scrub - I picked this packet up at Shopper's Drug Mart to try out and I really like it. It has a good amount of grit to help get the dry skin off of your feet and has a cooling minty feel on my feet. I was able to get 2 uses out of the package which it pretty good considering you can get 3 for $5 I think? Repurchase? Yes.

Bath & BodyWOrks Waikiki Beach Coconut Body Cream - I found the scent on this lotion to be a mixture of coconut and sweet! It smelled great and the scent lingered for awhile after. I am wishing I had picked up more than 1 tube! The Bath &BodyWorks 24 hour moisture Ultra Shea Body Cream is one of my favorites to use after a shower, especially in the winter. Repurchase? Always, and once again always on sale!

Wella Thermal Image Heat Protection Spray - I think I recieved this spray in a TopBox, a few years ago.... I really liked it and it lasted forever. It made my hair shiney and soft and helped keep my hair straight when I used a flat iron. Repurchase? I am not even sure if it is available anymore and I have a few other heat protectant sprays to get through. Maybe?

Nivea Invisible For Black & White Anti-Perspirant - I received this anti-perspirant in my Elle Canada Grand Prix testing products, if you would like to see what my first impressions were of it you can read it here. I really liked this anti-perspirant, it worked and didn't stain any of my clothes! Repurchase? Yes!

Bath & BodyWorks PocketBac Honeydew Cooler - I have started using these little hand sanitizers again lately. They are a great size to cli to your purse and take anywhere with you. They aren't the most cost effective but they comein some great scents! Honeydew Cooler has a nice fresh scent that again lingers, I have ot be careful using some of the scents at work but this one seems to pass! Repurchase? Yes.

Schick Intuition Advanced Moisture refill - I go through at least one of these a month, not having to mess around with shave cream and a razor at 5am is a very good thing! Not to mention they are a great price at Costco, razor plus 12 refills for under $30 CAD, lasts me almost a year. Repurchase? Always.

Curl Keeper Ultimate Hold with Frizz Control - I think I got this in a Birchbox? not to sure. I have been using this gel when I am going to let my hair air dry. It helped to keep my hair from going frizzy and also hold the wave in for the day. I was worried that it would leave my hair crunchy but it did not! I have another sample that I am working through now, not to sure on where I can pick this up though. Repurchase? If I can find it!

Next we have some face care.

Face care/perfume empties for June 2016.

Kirkland Daily Facial Towelettes - What can I say, I like a few things I can pick up at Costco! I use these everyday to wipe my face off of the makeup remover I use before I use my Clarisonic. I find that I do have to store them upside down so that they stay moist, other than that I can't find anything that works as good as these do. Especially for the price. The wipes have a nice texture to them that seems to help remove my makeup. Repurchase? Always.

Fluffs Cotton Pads - I use these cotton pads for everything! They have a good thickness that doesn't seem to absorb all the products I use them with. They also don't leave any bits of cotton my face! I use them to remove eye makeup, nail polish, and to apply my toner. They are $1.25 at Dollarama and you get 100 in the package. Repurchase? Always.

Neat & Easy Deep Cleansing Nose strips - Another Dollarama find! $3? for a box at Dollarama. I find that these work just as well at cleaning out my pores on my nose as Biore, at a fraction of the price. I keep meaning to use these more frequently, and than I forget! I am hoping to use these more! Repurchase? Yes.

Garnier Clean Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser - I received this from Garnier back in March of 2015....I kind of forgot about it until I used up FaceShop cleanser and was cleaning out my bathroom! I finished it off and still liked it! I wouldn't use it alone as my main method of removing makeup but it works great as a first step. Repurchase? Maybe, but I do really like the Faceshop Mango Seed one best.

Marcelle Gentle Make-Up For Sensitive Eyes - I think I got this travel size in a gratis bag from the Womens Show a few months ago. I was not expecting to like this as my sister hates it! But I did really like it, it removed my eye makeup (including water proof mascara) easily and without much rubbing. That is a huge plus for me as I don't need any help getting more wrinkles there! This is a bi-phase cleanser so if you don't shake it to mix it it doesn't do anything! I found it comparable to Lancôme at a slightly lower price. Repurchase? I probably will whenever I run out off my samples....

Tarte Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost MOisturizer - I got this sample size in 2 kits I picked up in the Spring, Skin Squad and Make A Splash. So I actually have another sample of this to use up but I think I may wait until the fall. I liked this but did find it to be maybe just a little to moisturizing for my skin right now during the daytime, under makeup. The scent of this is great though, if you like citrus scents. Repurchase? I doubt it, I have other moisturizers I like better.

Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Deep Dive Cleansing Gel - Another sample from the Spring sets I picked up. I didn't really like this cleanser at all though. I found it to be quite drying and my face felt really tight after using it. Maybe that's why the moisturizer is so moisturizing?! I am going to give my daughter the other sample I have of this, maybe she will like it better than I did. Repurchase? No.

Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask - A deluxe sample from a favorites set maybe? I didn't notice any difference when I used this mask. My face didn't feel more moisturized or less moisturized, the later is a good thing! I like trying out skincare in sample sizes so I can decide if it is something I want to buy full size of without buying a full size. Repurchase? No.

Josie Maran Argan Oil - Yay! I used up a skincare sample! I have started using Argan Oil at night as part of my nightly skincare routine. I mix 2 drops in with my serum and it seems to be making my skin feel more hydrated when I wake up in the morning. I was worried that oil would make my skin oilier but that has not been the case. I do have quite a few more samples to get through so I think it will be awhile before I need to purchase any. Repurchase? Yes. eventually.

Lancôme La vie est belle - I didn't finish this perfume sample, the scent just is not for me at all. On my skin all I can smell are the floral notes, and they are strong. Repurchase? No

Clean Sueded Oud - I don't know what it is about this scent but I really liked it. It lasted all day on me and wasn't really strong, just a nice clean scent! Almost masculine, but not quite. Repurchase? Maybe

Marchesa Parfum D'Extase - 3 perfume samples! Another light fresh scent that I liked wearing while it lasted! Even though this perfume has a floral scent it seemed to work for me, not to strong, just right. Repurchase? Maybe.

A little something different, candle empties!

I have recently rediscovered my love for scented candles! I used to love burning candles, not sure why I stopped actually. Anyway I have started again, and this time I have found Yankee Candle! I will be posting a 'little' candle haul later on, Yankee Candle has had a few great sales that I just had to indulge in! I like Fresh, Fruity, Sweet scents.

Orange Dreamsicle - I picked this candle up thinking it would smell like an Orange Dreamsicle, which I love! Sadly, to my nose it didn't quite capture the scent. I got really tired of this scent really quickly. It didn't smell like orange, nor did it smell sweet, it just smelled a little weird. I couldn't wait to finish this candle to get rid of it.. I did however find out that I really don't like the Large jar candles, they are a pain to light, BBQ lighter is needed for these! It also made a big mess on the rim of the jar, a lot of soot, keep away from your light colored walls! Repurchase? No

Pure Radiance Crackling After Dark - I wanted to try out one of the Crackling candles and this was the scent I found that I liked the most. I did like this candle but I won't be buying another Crackling candle, when it is burning you have to watch as the wood wick sends sparkes out. The sound of the wood burning was very soothing, but I was not happy when I saw sparks coming out. Repurchase? No

Sunset Breeze Votive - I loved the scent of this candle! It has a great Fresh, Fruity scent with a great throw! I could smell this candle on the whole level of my house that I was burning it on, but it also wasn't overpowering in my office! Repurchase? I already have, a few times!

Catching Rays Votive - Another great scent for me! This scent is more orange, I think, whatever it is I like it! Great throw on this one to, and still not to overpowering. Repurchase? Yes again a few times.

Bahama Breeze Votive - Can you tell I like Fruity scents?! Same as the previous 2, great all around. Repurchase? You betcha!

That was a lot of product! I finished off a few full sized items that have been hanging around with just a bit left in them. Do you do that at all? Switch to something else when a product is almost done? I am trying to get through the Sample Stash, but I keep forgetting about the products. I think I may have a new system to get through them, I'll let you know later this month what I am going to try out! Did you finish up many products last month? Working on a Sample Stash of your own? Let me know!

Back in March I told you all about getting chosen to participate in teh Elle Quebec/Canada Beauty Grand Prix and gave you a look at the products and categories of the products that I was sent to blind test. Well the testing is over and I have submitted my log book and gave my opinion on all 18 products I received. If you want to read about the introduction you can click here, and Part 1 - Body scrubshere. I received products in Body Scrub (3), Deodorants (3), Face Serum (5), and Dry Shampoo (6). I was a little surprised on what some of the products were once I was able to get all the sparkly tape and residue off. Let me tell you I learned quickly the best way to get tape gunk off! Hint-Peanut butter and patience won out for me!

The shiney Mystery products.

As I had said in my Part 1 post, to not make this a marathon read, I have broken up the post into each of the 4 categories that I received.

Part 2 - Deodorants-

4 shiney Mystery Deodorants!

Part 2 is all about deodorant! Not the most glamorous bunch of products, but they are all products that we use everyday. Before I received my Elle package I had been using Men's Right Guard for my anti-perspirant as I was finding that women's just wasn't cutting it for me! I am happy to say that I was able to find a couple in the bunch that worked well for me! Again I tested in numerical order to make it easy on myself. I thought I knew what each one was, I was wrong about one of them!

For the testing of the Deodorants we were told to use them for a minimum duration of 7 days. Directions were all to apply directly to under arms, except for 204-spray under arms.

00 - Nivea Invisible for black & white-

Texture - Stick Solid.

Ease of application - applied smoothly

Effectiveness over the course of the day - Worked great for the whole day.

Side effects - I didn't notice any.

Scent - I loved the fresh scent of this, it lasted all day but wasn't overpowering in the least.

Thoughts - The Nivea Deodorant felt creamy going on and has a great fresh scent that wasn't overpowering at all. I didn't notice that it left any residue on my clothes either which was a bonus! Price $5.99 CAD.

140 - Clarins Déodorant Roll-On -

Texture - cream roll on, felt slimy!

Ease of application - This needed to be shaken before each use.

Effectiveness over the course of the day - This seemed to work well at first until about the 9 hour mark....

Side effects - This seemed to take forever to dry! I was flapping my arms like a chicken trying to get it to dry so I could finish getting dressed for work!

Scent - Another great fresh scent that wasn't overpowering, at first at least!

Thoughts - This was the one that I was wrong about what product it was! I thought this was a Nivea Roll On, I had no clue that Clarins made Deodorant. This one made me remember why I didn't like Roll-On deodorant, they go on so wet and slimy feeling, not a great way to start your day. I was also disappointed when I noticed that it did not last the whole day. After the first day I started tossing this in my purse so I could 'freshen' it up at lunch! Price $21.00 CAD.

204 - Dove Dry Spray -

Texture - Dry spray

Ease of application - I really didn't like this at all, for it's intended purpose that is! I don't know about you but I needed to look where I was spraying, not a good thing as I ended up breathing it in and than proceeding to cough like crazy!

Effectiveness over the course of the day - This was another one that didn't last until bedtime! It did however last longer than the Clarins! About 12 hours.

Side effects - A lot of coughing during application.

Scent - Nice fresh scent with a bit of floral? Not sure but I did like it.

Thoughts - I found out very quickly that I am not a fan of dry spray deodorants! It did dry very quickly and without any residue which was a bonus. I have found another use for this though that keeps the coughing to a minimum! I had read somewhere, I am sorry I can't remember were, to use a spray deodorant if you have chafing! It works like a charm for this! Price $7.99 CAD.

227 - Secret Clinical Invisible Solid -

Texture - Solid.

Ease of application - This applied very smoothly and didn't drag.

Effectiveness over the course of the day - This lasted all day! No unwanted smells at all!

Side effects - I didn't notice any.

Scent - A great fresh clean scent.

Thoughts - I really liked this deodorant a lot. It went on smoothly and I didn't have to wait for it to dry! The scent was a fresh clean scent that wasn't overpowering but it worked. Price $10.99 CAD.

Once again after I had submitted my log book from the testing, it calculated my answers and gave me my favorite of the 4. For me it showed as the last one, Secret Clinical Invisible Solid. Secret did what it was supposed to do without any unwanted side effects. Went on smoothly, clean fresh scent, and it worked! Nivea would have to be a close second as it to did it's job well. I am glad that I found another use for the Dove Dry Spray that works great for me. Clarins made me realize that Roll-On is not the kind of deodorant for me, as well as expensive doesn't always mean better.

I know that deodorant isn't the most exciting product to read about but it is something most of use on a daily basis. For me, it was worth it to find out that there are Deodorants out there besides Men's that can work for me when I am having some hot moments!

Did you know what the products were by the packaging? Did you know that Clarins made Deodorant, or did you think it was Nivea as well?

Happy Canada Day long weekend! I hope you get to enjoy and celebrate the long weekend if you are living in Canada! Back in March I told you all about getting chosen to participate in the Elle Quebec/Canada Beauty Grand Prix and gave you a look at the products and categories of the products that I was sent to blind test. If you want to check out that post you can click here. Well, the testing is finally over and I have submitted my log book and gave my opinion on all 18 products I received. I received products in Body Scrub (3), Deodorants (3), Face Serum (5), and Dry Shampoo (6). I was a little surprised on what some of the products were once I was able to get all the sparkly tape off. Let me tell you I learned quickly the best way to get tape gunk off! Hint-Peanut butter and patience won out for me!

All the shiney wrapped Mystery products.

I want to give you my thoughts on each product and so as not to make this post a 30 minute marathon read, I have decided to split it up into 4 parts. Each part will be on a separate category.

First up are the Body Scrubs-

3 shiney wrapped Body Scrubs.

I tested each product in numerical order, I figured that would be the easiest way to keep track of them! I had no idea on what any of the Body Scrubs were as this is an area that I previously had not used many products from. For the testing we were asked to use each product for a minimum duration of 3-5 days over 10 days. Directions were - Under shower or in bath, rub gently over body, concentrating on the elbows, knees and heels. Rinse well.

058 - Moroccanoil Body Buff Rose Petal Exfoliant -

Texture - I found the scrub to be thick and kind of slimy feeling. The granules sink to the bottom of the jar so you do need to 'stir' it before each use.

Application - I am not a fan of products in pots no matter what it is, I hate sticking my fingers in things!

Exfoliation - One of the places the Moroccanoil excelled in was in how well it exfoliates! It had the right amount of granules to get a good scrub, but not enough to be irritating.

Skin after rinsing - I found that on the days I used this, I almost didn't need to use moisturizer it was that moisturizing.

Scent - This is the worst thing about it! It has a very strong rose scent that hangs around for quite a while afterwards.

Thoughts - Once you get past the scent, or if you like rose scent, I loved this product. The scent stayed on the skin for quite awhile and in the bathroom! Felt slimy/sticky when applying but easily washed away. I would really liked to have seen an applicator included with this product so you didn't have to 'stir' it with your fingers each time. Price $52.oo CAD.

078 - Dans un Jardin -

Texture - I found this scrub to be very thick! It was a good thing that they included an applicator because if you needed to use your fingers in this one you would have ended up with a lot under your nails! It had the texture of a thick paste.

Application - Another product in a pot,the included spatula made this product a lot easier to get out of the tub.

Exfoliation - This at first felt like I was rubbing sandpaper on my body, but then it quickly melted and there was no more exfoliating to be had! It was very weird.

Skin after rinsing - I found my skin to be softer after using this body scrub but I could tell were I had first applied it to my skin as it was a little irritated.

Scent - This one has a slight strawberry, fruity scent. It wasn't overpowering, just nice!

Thoughts - This scrub is very thick and rough at first but the granules quickly melt away. Because of this I felt like I needed to use more to get an even exfoliation. Price $19.95 CAD.

143 - Clarins Exfoliating Body Scrub For Smooth Skin -

Texture - I found this scrub to be really creamy with a perfect amount of 'grit' to it!

Application - Finally, a tube! I loved the fact that this scrub came in a tube, no mess, it made it so much easier to use.

Exfoliation - This body scrub had the right amount of granules, enough to feel like it was doing its job but not enough to feel like I was rubbing sandpaper over my body.

Skin after rinsing - I found my skin felt softer after using, I did need to use a moisturizer afterwards though.

Scent - This body scrub has a nice soft fresh scent that didn't cling to my body, or bathroom! I was able to smell just my moisturizer afterwards.

Thoughts - I found that I used more of this at a time as it is a bit thick coming out of the tube. It didn't seem to spread as easily at first as some others I have tried. Price $45.00 CAD.

And here are all the Body Scrubs, minus the sparkly tape.

After I had submitted my log book for the testing, I was told which products in each category were my favorites. For the Body Scrub it showed Clarins as being my favorite of the 3. Clarins, for me ticked a lot of boxes, Scent, packaging ( a TUBE!!), and feel. The only thing I didn't like was that it seemed that I used more product than the others as it did come out thick and took a bit for it to spread. The Moroccanoil was a great product, once I got past the scent! If I was to find another scent on sale I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. The $52.oo CAD price tag is a little steep. Dans un Jardin has a great scent, but was a little to harsh for my skin. I will use it up as a hand scrub, I think it will be great for getting the dirt off my hands after working outside this summer!

I really enjoyed trying out all the products in the Body Scrub category, especially as it was something I hadn't used much of in the past. I have Keratosis Pilaris on my upper arms and legs and after having tested out the body scrubs I have found that the bumps have gone down a lot. I do still have redness my skin does feel smoother than it has in a long time. I will now make Body scrubs part of my regular routine!

Did you know what any of the products where just by the shape of the package? Did any pique your interest?

Well, I guess it's back to back Becca! My sister waited in line at Sephora last Thursday to be sure to get this palette! She didn't want to order it online as she was given a gift certificate for Mother's Day and this was what she wanted! Why doesn't Sephora allow us to use gift cards online?! She was texting me while I was at work, when she first got there, 20 minutes before the store opened that there were a few girls ahead of her and by the time the store was opening there were 20 of them, all waiting for this palette. When she got in store they had 10 on the shelf, I am thinking a few girls walked away disappointed, luckily my sister was near the front of the line and was able to get hers. When I stopped in the store last night they had about 15 on display, so if you are wanting this palette head in or call your local Sephora to see if they have any in stock.

In the palette you are getting 2 Shimmering Skin Perfectors Pressed in Champagne Pop and Prosecco Pop, 2 Mineral Blushes in Amaretto and Pamplemousse, and 1 Luminous Blush in Rosé Spitz. All of the products in the palette are just slightly smaller than if you were to purchase the full sizes separately.

Palette Full Size

Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed 0.19oz 0.28oz

Mineral Blush 0.12oz 0.2oz

Luminous Blush 0.10oz 0.21oz

You are getting a great deal though buying the palette if they are shades you see yourself wearing. A full size Shimmering Skin Perfector is $46 CAD, Mineral Blush $39 CAD and Luminous Blush $41 CAD each. When my sister picked up the palette on launch day it was $59 CAD, but checking Sephora.ca today it is now $62 CAD?! It went up in price in less than a week?

Rosé Spritz - Luminous Blush - soft peachy pink with pale gold shimmer. I found this one to have a lot of shimmer and shine. I would use this one as more of a blush topper/high lighter.

Amaretto - Mineral Blush - matte toasted almond. This is my favorite in the palette, perfect neutral-y shade to go with almost anything!

Pamplemousse - Mineral Blush - matte warm coral pink. This one can get out of hand quickly if you aren't careful! A nice pink for the warm days!

Swatches of Rosé Spritz, Amaretto and Pamplemousse.

Champagne Pop - Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed - soft white gold with peachy pink undertones. I found that the Champagne Pop in this palettes formula was just a little stiffer than last years stand alone shade, but the pigmentation is definitely there!

Prosecco Pop - Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed - medium warm gold. They aren't kidding around when they call this a warm gold! To me this is a very intense gold highlight!

Swatches of Champagne Pop and Prosecco Pop, no glitter, just shine!

I found the products in the palette to be the same quality that you would expect from Becca. All the shades were very pigmented yet easy to blend out if you got a little heavy handed! One thing I will say about the blushes is that they are very soft, I am not sure that they would travel well! I just have to lightly tap my brush in the product and get enough on the brush, no swirling for days here!

I won't be picking up the Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Pop Face Palette myself, but am glad that my sister did! I already own Champagne Pop and don't use it near enough, nor for it's intended purpose! The 2 matte blush shades are my favorite, I love Becca's blush formula. I do definitely think it is worth picking up if you were wanting Champagne Pop and/or to try out some great pigmented blushes.

So my low-buy went out the window last month! I may not have been blogging but I was shopping, alot! I have a few new sets to give you a peek at and thought I would start with the Best of Becca - Blushed Radiance set that I found online at The Bay. I picked up this set for $39.50 CAD, the box tells me it is a value of $78 CAD. There were a few things in the set that I had been wanting to try out and if you have been around here long, you know my love of value sets!

In the set you are getting -

Best Of Becca - Blushed Radiance Set.

Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight Wand-Moonstone (5g)- A sheer liquid highlighter that veils skin in a soft pearlized glow. Apply to targeted areas including cheek bones, brow bones and bridge of nose. I have a few liquid highlighters but none from Becca! When I first swatched this I thought that there was no way that I would use this, it is so pigmented! But when I blended it out, it gave such a nice sheen, no glitter just luminosity. I am looking forward to giving this a try and seeing how it translates on my skin!

Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed-Opal (2.4g)-A creamy luminizing powder that veils skin in a soft pearlized glow with a lustrous velvet finish. Sweep across face or apply to targeted areas including cheekbones, brow bones and bridge of nose. This product is the only one in the set that I have already. I have not used any of the Becca Shimmering Skin perfectors that I have as highlighters, I really do need to use them that way though, but I have used them as eyeshadows! Opal is a beautiful warm shade that I think looks great on so many different skin tones. I used my full size Opal for the swatches and have set this mini size aside for a giveaway!

Mineral Blush-Flowerchild (2.4g)-A delicate powder blush. Create perfect cheeks with this effortlessly buildable formula that features micro-fine minerals and antioxidant vitamins to achieve a naturally flushed look for all skin types, even the most sensitive. I had been looking at Flowerchild in store and when I saw it in this kit it just made my decision even easier to pick it up. Flowerchild is a warm pink with some peach in it, perfect for summer! I have Wild Honey in a full size and both this mini and the full size wear the same! They both last through a full work day and into the evening for me, about 10 hours. They fade nicely without looking patchy. I do find that you have to be careful with the Mineral Blush formula though, it is soft and very pigmented, if you aren't careful you can end up with a bit more color than you were thinking! It is easy to blend out if you do happen to get a bit much on, which is helpful!

Backlight Priming Filter (6mL)-More than just a primer, it's the secret BEHIND the iconic BECCA glow. INfused with three unique Filtering Luminescent Pearls, this lightweight fluid creates a smooth canvas and acts as an instant filter. Blurs imperfections and gives skin a healthy, luminescent glow. If you are like me you have heard so many people raving about the Becca Backlight Priming Filter, that I knew I wanted to give it a try. I haven't tried it out yet but I will soon. This was another reason I picked up the set though, I want to see if it is really as good as everyone else says! In the swatch it looks like it will give a nice sheen to the skin, no glitter here either! I am thinking that I may try mixing it in with a more matte foundation to give it a little more life!

As you can see below the sizes in the Best Of Becca - Blushed Radiance set might be mini but they are still a really good size. I like mini sizes as they are a great way to try out products without spending the amount for a full size, and I have yet to finish off a mini size of a color product let alone a full size! The Mineral blush in the set is 2.4g, whereas the full size blush is 6g, just over a third of the size. The Shimmering skin Perfector mini is 2.4g again and a full size is 8g, the mini size is a great size for a highlighter as well.

I think the Best Of Becca - Blushed Radiance Set is a great set for anyone wanting to try out a few different products from Becca without buying full-size products. You are able to try out 4 different products in popular shades for under $40 CAD! If I was to buy all 4 products full size it would have cost me $181 CAD, that's quite a lot to try out 4 products! Even though all the products are mini/deluxe sample size, I don't mind that. I personally would rather spend $40 CAD to try out a few different products than almost $200! I think from the sizes of the 4 products I will be able to tell if it is something I will use a lot and need to pick up a full size.

Do any of these products catch your eye? What do you think about Favorites/Best Of sets? Good deal? Or no?

I am back! Just needed some time to get caught up on personal things. This new schedule has been kicking my butt lately. Who would have thought that Monday to Friday 7-3 would be so hard! I really miss my 12 hour shifts, you worked long hours but also got stretches of days off. Anyway I am working on getting more organized with blogging so hopefully I can get caught up. I think I may start back only posting twice a week and see how that goes, if I find that I can handle that without to much trouble I may go back to three times a week.

I have quite a lot of empties for the past 2 months! I think that I will go back to posting monthly on these, I think 2 months is just too long to have all this trash sitting around! Not to mention it makes the post REALLY long!

I thought I would start off with the Body care products I used up over April and May.

Body care empties for April and May.

Bath & Body Works Foaming Hand Soap in Fresh Sparkling Snow and Tahitan Paradise-Neither of these hand soaps really stood out to me, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be the Tahitan Paradise, it smelled just a tad fresher to me. My son nor my husband complained about either one so that is a good sign! Repurchase? I always pick up the Bath & Body Works hand soaps when they are on sale, and usually in all different scents!

Quo Luxury Cotton Pads - I picked up this bag of cotton pads on sale for $4.99, I thought it would be a nice change from my regular Dollarama ones. They were ok but I won't repurchase them, they seemed to soak up a lot of product, more than my Dollarama ones! They were soft though and didn't leave fluff on my face or nails. Repurchase? No

Fluffs Cotton Pads - My favorite cotton pads! 100 for just over a dollar. I really like these cotton pads for toner and removing nail polish. They seem to hold just enough product without waste. Repurchase? Always!

Kirkland Daily Facial Towelettes 30ct x2 - My face wipes of choice! I have said it plenty of times, I just can't find another face wipe for the price that is as good as these ones. I usually use these to wipe of makeup remover after I have massaged it into my face before I use my Clarisonic, and the occasional time I am to lazy to use my clarisonic I will use them to remove my makeup. They work great either way. Repurchase? Always!

Bath & Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Shower Gel - This shower gel is ok, I found it to be a little drying in the cooler months. I think it would be ok in the Spring/Summer months. The scent was very strong on this one and I got tired of it fairly quickly! I prefer Nivea shower gel in the orange scent. Repurchase? I might try this out in a different scent in the future.

Bath & Body Works 24 hour moisture Ultra Shea Body Cream in Mediterranean Blue Waters and Fresh Sparkling Snow - I really like the 24 hour body cream from Bath & Body Works. It is very moisturizing and comes in a tube! 2 of the most important things for me! Both scents were nice but my favorite was Mediterranean Blue Water, it has a great fresh scent that isn't to overpowering. Repurchase? I have already picked up another 2 tubes of Mediterranean Blue Waters!

Schick INtuition Razor Refills x2 - I used 2 different 'scents/formulas' of these but I honestly didn't really notice a difference in them. The Intuition is my razor of choice, at 5am I just don't want to mess around with to many things in the shower! Having to not worry about shaving cream is great for me. Repurchase? Always!

Naobay Natural & Organic Oxygenating Cream - I think I must have gotten this in a Birchbox at some time. I didn't use this on my face but instead used it as a hand cream at work. I didn't find that this moisturizer did much of anything for me, I had to reapply it quite frequently, the tube only lasted 3 days! The scent was light but that was the best part of it. Repurchase? Nope

Avène Cold Cream Hand Cream - I had high hopes for this hand cream, sadly it didn't live up to my expectations. Again the moisturizing effect just didn't last long at all at work. The scent was the best part of this hand cream as well. Repurchase? No

Getting closer to the good stuff! Face care empties -

Face care empties for April and May 2016.

Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel - This is my second bottle of Thayers Witch Hazel. I use it as my toner after I wash my face before my regular skincare routine. I find that it works great for getting the last little bit of residue that may have gotten left behind. I really liked the Rose scent and would have picked it up again but they were out of it. Repurchase? I already did!

Masque Bar Wrinkle Reducing Sheet Mask - I picked up a box with 5 of these in the clearance section at Shopper's for $1.99, I figured under .50 a mask was a great price to try them out! It fits ok on my face but I do find that between my nose and mouth dries out really quickly when I wore it. I didn't notice a difference when I used it but I did only use 1 so far. I will let you know if I do notice anything! Repurchase? Not to sure, but if I found more for $1.99 I would probably pick them up!

Eye Repair Spa Dark Circle Reducer Eye Patches - I picked up a box of 5 of these at the same time I picked up the previous sheet masks for the same price! I am always willing to try something that promises to help dark circles. I again have only used 1, it felt really cooling when I had them on, no noticeable difference yet though! Repurchase? Again if I found them for a good price I would probably pick them up.

Neat & Easy Deep Cleansing Nose Strips x3 - I pick these up at Dollarama and find that they do just as good a job as Biore but for a fraction of the price! Repurchase? Always!

The Face Shop Apple Peeling Gel - I got a sample of this when I picked up another tub of the Mango Seed Makeup Removing Cream. I could not get this peel off so it was a mess trying to get it off of my face. I also didn't notice any difference other than my face felt slightly drier than before I used it. Repurchase? No

Mac Pro Eye Makeup Remover - I choose this sample when I ordered the Mac Sculpting palette. I really liked this eye makeup remover a lot, it didn't sting my eyes and easily removed my eye makeup. Repurchase? It is on my list to maybe purchase after I use up the samples I have!

Origins Modern Friction - A little of this exfoliator goes along way! I got this sample size in a Sephora Favorites set I think? It lasted me forever, It is a nice gentle exfoliator that didn't feel like it was scratching my skin. The only complaint I have about it is do not get this in your eyes! IT really stung my eyes when I got it in them. But that is the only negative I have, it feels great when you are using it and it really seems to get my face clean. It also didn't leave any residue on my face after rinsing. Repurchase? It has been added to my list of maybes.

Clarisonic Radiance Head - I believe I have found my favorite brush head for my Clarisonic! This one is gentle on my face, no scratching feeling at all! Even with feeling so gentle it removed the last traces of makeup and left my face feeling clean! Repurchase? Yes

Estèe Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye - I used up 1 of the deluxe sample jars that I had picked up late last year in a value kit. I really like this night-time eye cream, it is more of a gel consistency and it feels so good when I put it on. I use this every night and do find that my eye area is nice and moisturized when I wake up. Repurchase? I still have 2 more deluxe samples left!

The Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye Make-up Remover - This travel size came in The Body Shop Boxing Day Bag that I had picked up. It was one of the products I was looking forward to trying out. I really wanted to like this eye makeup remover, but sadly I didn't find it did that great of a job. Not only did I have to use quite a bit and it still didn't remove everything, but it also stung my eyes. Repurchase? No

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask - I got this sleeping mask from INfluenster late last summer to try out. I didn't quite like it then but loved it over the Winter months! I used this a few times a week at night and my face felt so moisturized when I woke up. I think for my combo skin this is a better ft over the cooler/dry months. Repurchase? It is on the list for next winter.

Finally! The make up empties!

The good stuff, Makeup empties for April and May 2016.

Make Up For Ever Matte Velvet Foundation - I got this sample from Sephora to try out and at first I found it to be to heavy. But than I tried it with a Beauty Blender, love it! When I used a foundation brush I found this to be fairly heavy and makeup-y looking but the beauty blender seemed to make it just blend into my skin so well. The lassting power was great as well, I would put this on at 530am and when I washed my face at 9pm it was still there! Repurchase? It is on the list for Imats!

Clinique High Impact Mascara - I usually like the formula, brush, and weartime of CLiniques High Impact Mascara. But I think this deluxe sample may have been on the old side as it seemed to be fairly dry even when I first opened it. The natural bristles on the wand seem to give me tons of volume and it doesn't usually smudgeo n me, but this one did. Repurchase? I still have quite a lot of deluxe and full size mascaras to get through and usually get thisin a GWP when I pick up my day moisturizer so I have never had to buy a full size. I might buy a full size if needed though.

Estèe Lauder DayWear BB Creme - This BB Cream had fairly good coverage! I really liked it when I first put it on but within 3 hours it had given me the dreaded polka dot face, completely sunk into every pore on my face. I am glad I tried this out in a sample size so I didn't waste money on it. I think if you don't have larger pores this might be a great option, especially for summer as it has SPF of 35. Repurchase? No

Marc Jacobs Highliner in Brown(out) - I love the these liners! They are great for tightlining and in the waterline. One of a few liners that actually stays longer than an hour there for me! This pencil isn't done but I guess I left the cap off and it dried out on me. I am a huge fan of brown liners as I don't find them as harsh as black for me. Repurchase? I think I may bite the bullet and pick one up at the next Sephora sale.

UD All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray - A full size beauty product!! I use this everyday that I put makeup on, it seems to make my makeup melt into my skin. I'm not entirely sure if it helps my makeup last longer but I think it might? Repurchase? I already have. I am curious about Model In A bottle, I think thats what it is called, maybe they will have that one at Imats this year, if they do I will be picking one up!

Benefit Gimme Brow in Light/Medium - Up until I tried out the Make Me Brow from Essence I was all set to pick up anpther tube of this. I like using it on days when I am just to lazy to bother being meticulous about my brows! It gives my blonde brows some colour and helps hide the few grey ones I seem to have now. Repurchase? Nope, I have found a cheaper option!

Sephora Colourful Blush in Sweet On You! - I was actually quite surprised by how pigmented and longwearing this blush was. I only had to tap my brush on the card to get enough for each cheek and it lasted all day. This little sample card had enough product for me to use this blush all week. Repurchase? I wouldn't say no to picking up one if I find a shade that I don't already have.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Smoky Lash - I was hoping to really like this mascara, and I did really like how it made my lashes look. I didn't like that it smudged on me within a couple hours. Maybe I got a bad sample? I know a lot of people really like this and I haven't seen anyone else say that it smudged on them. ither that or I have the OILIEST eyes ever! Repurchase? No

Miss Dior perfume sample - I liked this perfume and was asked quite a bit what I was wearing on the days I wore this to work. It does have a floral scent but it isn't overpowering. It wasn't a strong scent, just about right! Repurchase? Maybe

Angel perfume sample - I liked this perfume but it is a very strong scent. It's not a flowery scent though, just very strong! Not one I can wear to wrok! Repurchase? No

Nest Amazon Lily perfume sample - I wasn't a huge fan of this perfume. It has a very strong lily scent that sticks around. A tad to flowery for me. Repurchase? No

I was able to use up quite a few products over the past 2 months! But sadly, not many from my Sample Stash.

Well, it happened again! Just after I had ordered the Tarte - Rainforest of The Sea Make A Splash Set, this little set popped up on the Sephora site! I missed it the first time it came in stock but was lucky enough to get it the second time around. It is currently out of stock on Sephoras site, but my sister was able to pick it up in store the other day, so if you are interested in it, check your local store!

The Skin Squad set retails for $26 CAD, which is a great price for what you get! You can choose either Light or Medium, the shade for the BB cream. I picked up the set in Light, pale girl here!

Here is what you get inside the Tarte Skin Squad Set.

In the Tarte Skin Squad Set you get -

Rainforest of The Sea Deep Dive cleansing gel (0.25oz)- this is a very small deluxe sample! But I now have 2 so I am hoping to get to try it out for a week!

Rainforest Of The Sea Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost (0.33oz)- another very small deluxe sample, but again I have 2 now so I should hopefully have enough for a week.

Rainforest Of The Sea Marine Boosting Mist (0.24oz)-another one I am looking forward to trying out and now have 2 of the small deluxe sample sizes!

BB TInted Treatment Primer (0.5oz)- I am always looking for a primer that will help my makeup last and haven't tried this, nor do I have a sample of it! This is also tinted so I am interested to see how much coverage it has. This is half the size of a full size which is 1oz for $43 CAD.

Oasis Amazonian Clay 12hr Blush (0.05oz)-I already know I love the formula of these and this is a limited edition shade and the perfect size, I doubt I will finish a full size blush anyway! Again half the size of a full size blush which is 0.2oz for $34 CAD.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara (0.13oz)- I am already a huge fan of this mascara so getting another deluxe sample, which I know I really don't need!, is a bonus. Half size of a full size once again, I have never finished a full size mascara before the recomended date anyway.

Here are some pictures of the 2 color products in the set, Tarte BB Tinted Treatment Primer in Light and Oasis Amazonian Clay 12hr Blush.

The 3 Rainforest Of The Sea products are also in the Make A Splash Set I picked up during the sale. I still haven't tried them out yet......but I know that I love the 12hr Amazonian Clay blushes! I am also a fan of the Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara and have been interested in trying out the BB Tinted primer. So for those 3 products alone the set was worth it to me. All of the products in the Skin Squad set are deluxe samples, some seem really small. But they are a good size to try out a few different products from the brand, or to have travel sizes of some favorites. I am thinking on putting one of the Rainforest Of The Sea Marine Boosting Mists in my purse, perfect size to go in your purse to give you a boost midday.

Did you happen to pick up any of the products from the Rainforest Of The Sea collection? Which are your favorites?

Wow, March and April went by far to fast for me! It seemed like I had just written my first favorites post and it was time to write another one. I have discovered a few new products over the past 2 months, one out of necessity, and another by recommendation from my sister. But by far my favorite thing for the past 2 months has been my new office/makeup room! We have been working on this room for awhile now, its still not done but its getting closer! A few trips to Ikea, a few online orders from Ikea, love that we have a pickup point in London now, and a weekend spent painting. Now comes the fun part of organizing everything and decorating it!

Still a work in process, but here is my makeup/office desk so far.

Another favorite for the past 2 months has been testing out all the products I recieved for the Elle Canada Grand Prix. It has been a lot of fun trying out so many different products, having no clue as to what they are other than Dry Shampoo, Body Scrub, Face Serums, and Deodorants! I have found a few products in the bunch that I really like and some that I really didn't like at all! It will be fun to know exactly what the products are and if I am surprised by any of them. I have been writing in a journal my thoughts on all the products as I try them and what if I have a guess as to what they are. The Face Serums I would still like to give them more than a week trial so that I can see if I find that they make any difference after having using them longer than a week. My thoughts after I finish all the testing will be more of a first impression more than anything until after I give them at least a month of continued use. The Dry Shampoos didn't take long before I knew if I liked them or not! The Body Scrubs, I found 1 I really liked but hated the smell! Hoping that it comes in a different scent! Deodorants where fairly easy to, I was reminded as to why I didn't like certain types!

All the shiny Elle Canada Grand Prix products!

And lastly the beauty products I was loving for the past 2 months -

My March-April beauty favorites.

Urban Decay Naked Basics palette - I have been using this palette a lot the past 2 months, W.O.S. is my favorite blending shade! I use it most days to help blend out any harsh lines. Naked 2 is another shade I discovered over the past few months, it is a great crease shade when I am looking to do an easy 'natural' eye look.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Exposed - I have been reaching for this blush on most days. If I am in a rush and don't want to think about what blush to wear, Exposed has been my go to! Perfect neutral blush that goes with any look!

Essence Make Me Brow in Blondy Brows - This was a surprise favorite for me. If you want to know my thoughts on it you can check out my review here. But needlesss to say, I love it!

Beauty Blender - regular and mini - I have had the beauty blender sitting in a box since Imats 2014....and never tried it out until April! I have been getting a mole treated on my face with liquid nitrogen by my doctor and it is really dry. I didn't want to mess around the area with a brush and remembered I had the beauty blender so thought I would give it a try. I see what all the hype is about them! It blends in foundation so flawlessly and doesn't take a lot of work to get it there. It has also been a lot gentler on the mole area than a brush would have been. I have noticed that it gives a sheerer finish than a brush, but I have been liking that lately.

Sephora Glass Nail File - My sister told me I needed this nail file. She was right! I have tried other glass files and didn't find they did much of anything for my nails, it took forever to file my nails with them, not with the Sephora brand one. The Sephora brand Glass file does a great job of cleaning up the rough edges of my nails. I have also chipped a nail while out and only had this file it took no time to get rid of the rough edges and I didn't end up catching the rough edge on anything!

I had quite a few favorites for the past few months, although, I don't know what some of them are yet. I am testing out the last dry shampoo now and need to have my log book submited by May 20th. Once I am done with that I will post about the products in a bit more detail! I am so glad that I gve the Essence Make Me Brow a try, it will definitly be a repurchase. I will also keep you posted on how my organizing is going. Right now I am trying to figure out how best to organize the beauty products! I have pretty much organized the office side of the desk, the easy part!

What about you, did you have any favorite products over the past few months? Any due to necessity? Or recomendations? Doing any re-organizing? I am all for any hints/tricks! Let me know in the comments.

In case you didn't know, Sephora and Urban Decay have all 3 formulas of the Revolution lipsticks on sale right now for $13 CAD. So of course I figured I needed a few more, to try out the different formulas. I only had 1 Revolution lipstick in the shade 'Naked', and have been tempted to try out the other 2 formulas, Sheer and Matte, but just hadn't gotten around to it. I really like the formula of the Revolution lipstick, for me they last a good 4 hours without needing any touch-up, ony needing to be touched up after eating. They also feel really moisturizing and doesn't dry out my lips at all, which is a bonus! I also found in my Sample Stash samples of the Revolution formula as well as the Sheer. I thought it might be interesting to see swatches of the ones I, and of course my sister, have so you could see them beside other shades.

Sheer Liar - sheer pinky-brown nude - my daughter actually picked this one up, it is her first lipstick! She loves it, just a hint of color.

Sheer Rapture - sheer dusty rose - I know I said I probably have a few in this shade, but I don't have any in a sheer formula!

Sheer slowburn - sheer orange-red - I picked up this shade as my coral, it is bright but you can wear it sheer or build it up, I figure I can get comfortable with it sheerer than slowly build my way up!

Sheer Shame - sheer berry - this was my sister's first Urban Decay lipstick, she picked it up in the fall to get herself more comfortable with darker shades. I am still debating whether or not to go pick this one up, I really like it!

Sheer Ladyflower - sheer rose-pink - they were sold out of this one, I was looking at it!

Sheer Anarchy - sheer fushia - a little to pink for me.

Sheer Shame - sheer berry - again I really have to decide if I am going to pick it up before they are sold out in store!

Sheer Walk Of Shame - sheer pale nude-pink - I don't see any pink in this one at all, to me it looks like a colorless gloss.

There are 10 shades in the Sheer Revolution formula - Sheer Walk of Shame(sheer pale nude-pink), Sheer Liar(sheer pinky-brown nude), Sheer Obsessed(sheer baby pink), Sheer Rapture(sheer dusty rose), Sheer Ladyflower(sheer rose-pick), Sheer anarchy(sheer fuchsia), Sheer Streak(sheer coral-pink), Sheer Slowburn(sheer orange-red), Sheer F-Bomb(sheer red), and Sheer Shame(sheer berry). Even though they are called 'sheer' you can really build them up with only a few swipes on your lips. A great way to work yourself up to wearing bolder colors.

Matte Stark Naked - matte light nude - of course I would pick up a nude shade to try out the formula!

Matte Bad Blood - matte deep red - I wasn't planning on picking up another shade but I went home and got to thinking, I don't have a red lipstick....I went back and had some help to pick up a red that would suit me. I am not sure if I will ever wear it outside the house, but I have a red lipstick that looks good on me!

I like that they made the outside tube just a little different shade for each formula. Gunmetal shade for Revolution, pale purple for the Sheer and black for the Mattes. I think it will make it easier when loking for a formula, as long as you remember which color of tube is for which formula!

I ended up picking up a few from the Sheer formula as well as the Matte formula, both of which I haven't tried before. I am looking forward to seeing if I like the other 2 formulas as much as I like the Revolution lipstick that I already had. On Sephoras site, all the shades are showing as out of stock but I would go into your Sephora store to see what they have instock. I was in my Sephora just the other day and they still had most shades in stock, if they don't have a shade you are wanting just ask, it may be underneath where they have the overstock! I am still trying to decide if I should go back and pick up any more shades?! What do you think, will you or have you picked up any of the Urban Decay lipsticks since they went on sale?

I picked up the Essence Make Me Brow in 01 Blondy Brows, to see how it would compare to Benefit Gimme Brow. I am almost out of the Benefit and thought it would be a good time to try something new. The Essence Make Me Brow was a whooping $3.99 CAD for 0.12oz, where as the Benefit Gimme Brow is $30.00 CAD for 0.1oz! That is a huge difference in price, over $25.00 CAD, that's a big chunk of my beauty budget for the month. I have read quite a few good reviews on the Essence so decided to give it a try, for just under $4 I thought it was worth a shot.

The Essence Make Me Brow looks very similar to Benefits Gimme Brow, both are in a similarily colored tube and both have a nice small wand! I find that the small wand makes it so much easier to not make a mess, especially at the tail of my brows. I at first thought that the Essence was going to be to watery and not give me enough color but I was happy to be proven wrong!

In the swatch the Essence looks a lot warmer than Benefit, but I wore Essence on one brow and Benefit on the other and went to work like that! No one seemed to notice even when I pointed it out. I found that they both wore the same, I didn't end up with one brow gone halfway through the day. I will say that I was afraid that would happen and actually brought both gels to work with me just in case.

I have been using the Essence Make Me Brow for just about 2 weeks and I can say that I will be purchasing it again when it runs out. The shade Blondy Brow is a great shade for someone with pale brows that is just looking to add a hint of color and keep your brows in place for the day. If you are a regular user of Benefits Gimme Brow, or any other brow gel/mascara, I think that you may just like Essence Make Me Brow just as much. I was very surprised at how much I liked Essence Make me Brow, I always saw Essence as a brand for young kids, not something that would be able to stand up to higher end products. Having had such a great espereince with this Essence product makes me want to try out a few others now! Do you have a favorite Essence product that I should try out next? Let me know!

So, I placed a few Sephora orders since I did my first posts on m Sample Stash... With placing Sephora orders, or any online beauty purchases it seems, they like to give you more samples. I have not been the greatest on getting to using up my samples and I have added quite a few to the ever growing piles of samples. If you would like to see my previous posts on My Sample Stash you can find them here,here, here, here, and here. In my defence though I have been redoing an office/makeup room, so everything is kind of all over the place right now! I plan on rectifing that this week! I have even taken a day off work as a me day to hopefully make a big dent in getting things organized.

As you can see I added in quite a few more samples in the past month or so! More came in than went out that's for sure. I will do an update at the end of May I think. Have you tried out any of these samples? Anything that is a must try? Let me know.

The same weekend of the Sephora - A Love Note Shopping Event, Shopper's Drug Mart had a bonus redemption day on April 9. During the bonus redemption day you could redeem 50 000 points for $100 or 95 000 for $200 on anything in the store. Since I didn't use all my points during the last bonus redemption I thought I would do it again! Once again though I couldn't find much that I really wanted! I thought I would pick up the Star Wars movie for my son, but of course they didn't have it in stock. But that didn't completely deter me form spending some points!

Here are the beauty products I picked up.

I decided to try out some products from Essence and Joe Fresh. Joe Fresh is new to shopper's and I don't think I have tried anything from them before. Essence on a few recommendations from fellow CBB bloggers!

I picked up -

Essie - starry starry night - This is a shade that was brought back and I have been looking at it and saw it on clearance for $4.99!! I had to pick it up!

Maybelline - Lip Gloss Palette - Another item from the clearance section! This one was marked down to $10.00. I thought for that price it was more than worth it to try them out and to have a variety of colors to choose from.

Joe Fresh - Melon - I have been looking for a coral-y blush and saw this one. Great way to try out the brand!

Joe Fresh - Eye lid Primer - I am on the hunt for an eyelid primer that will hold eyeshadows on my oily lids without the need to use a second, Mac-Painterly, primer.

Essence - Stampy Set - I have been seeing quite a few different nail art looks using Nail Stamps lately so I thought I would give this one a go. I have also picked up a few other nail stamping kits which I plan on doing a review of them all.

Essence - Make Me Brow - My Benefit Gimme Brow is almost done so I thought now would be a good time to try this one out.

Essence - nail art express dry drops - I do not have much patience waiting for my nails to dry, especiallly when I want to do more than just one coat/color. I am hoping this helps things dry quickly so I can move on the next step faster!

Now all this stuff came no where near $100 so I actually used the rest of the redemption on groceries and such! I am hoping that by the next the bonus redemption rolls around that there are a few more beauty things instock that I am interested in to spend my points on!

Have you ever had to search for things to spend your hard earned points for redemption on? What do you typically pick up?

During the Sephora - A Love Note Shopping Event that was from April 7-13 I did a little bit of shopping! The spring Sephora sale is 15% off everything in the store and online, not as good as the fall sale but still nothing to sneeze at! I don't think I went overboard this time! There were a few other things that I wanted to pick up, but of course, they were out of stock for the duration of the sale.

On to the haul -

My little Sephora - A Love Note Shopping Event Haul.

I picked up a few products that I have been interested in trying out, and a few that I have been looking at for a while!

Benefit - Life's Little Correctors ($26.00 CAD) - I have been interested in trying out the Boi-ing Concealer for a while. In the kit you get 2 shades of Boi-ing, 2 shades of Lemon-Aid color correcting eyelid primer, an Eye Bright and an Erase Paste. I have tried the Erase paste and wasn't to impressed with it at the time but am willing to give it another try!

Nudestix - #nudelipkit ($28.00 CAD)- The set comes with 3 minis of neutral lip stix in 3 different formulas, as well as a sharpener. The shades are Belle(Intense Matte), Pulse (Gel Color), and Mystic (Lip and Cheek). I like all the colors so this set should get a lot of wear time!

Tarte - Rainforest of The Sea - Make A Splash Hydrating Skin Savors ($12.00 CAD)- This little set has 3 of Tarte's limited edition skin care. Marine Boosting Mist, Seep Dive Cleansing Gel, and Drink H2O Hydrating Boost. I have not tried any skin care from Tarte before so looking forward to these ones.

Nars - Lip Gloss - I have been looking at the shade Chelsea Girls for quite a while and decided to pick it up during the sale. I am hoping I like it, the color looks perfect!

Urban Decay- 24/7 Waterline Eye Pencil ($24.00 CAD)- When I saw that they had a nude pencil, Walk of Shame, I knew I wanted to try it out. The regular 24/7 pencils don't last long in my waterline so I am hoping that the new formula lasts longer.

Sephora Bag - I really like the bags that they have been giving out lately for the events in store! It is small and just a gret little size for a few things.

All the prices shown are full price, during the sale I got 15% off everything. For me this was small compared to what I would have done before. And no eye shadow palettes! That is the one I am most proud of, it's not to say that I didn't want one, there are a few I would like. Just not quite enough to use one of my 2 that I am hoping to keep myself to for the year! I may have also placed another order for a few Urban Decay xGwen Stefani products when they showed up in the Sale section...I'll get back to you on that one!

I am trying everything out and will hopefully have some reviews up sooner rather than later. Is there anything here that you would like to see a review on sooner rather than later? Let me know!

I was lucky to be sent the new Lise Watier HyraForce Hydra-Protective Comforting Creme as well as the Hydra-Detect tool from Glam Sense, a part of Top Box. I like trying out new skincare, especially when it is from a brand I have not really tried to much from before.

What stands out about the Lise Watier HydraForce for me is the actually the Hydra-Detect tool. It is a hydration meter that you plug into your phone after you download the Hydra-Detect app. Once you have downloaded the app you open it up and plug in the Hydra-Detect tool into the microphone jack. I did have quite a bit of trouble getting the tool to work on my iPhone 6 though. Than I got the idea to try it on my iPad and low and behold, it liked the iPad better!

Once you get the audio alert that the app has detected the tool you can than take measurments from your Hand, T-zone (forehead), and Cheeks.

As you can see by my before results -

And here are the results after appling the Lise Watier HydraForce Hydra-Protective Comforting Creme -

As you would expect everything is more hydradrated after applying a moisturizer!

The Lise Watier HyraForce Hydra-Protective Comforting Creme comes in a heavy glass pot, which if you have been around here for awhile know I am not the biggest fan of! The creme itself is thick and feels very moisturizing. I find it to be a little to thick to use under makeup though and have found it to be best used at night over top of my other skincare. When I use it at night I wake up with moisturized skin that feels very soft. On days that I am not going to be wearing makeup I will use it as a daytime moisturizer and it keeps my skin hydrated for the whole day, no tight feeling at all. There is a slight perfume-y scent when you first apply it but it does fade away quickly, you aren't left smelling like a flower!

Lise Watier is a Canadian company that has been around since 1972, it's almost as old as me! I hope that Spring does finally come to Southern Ontario and my skin can go back to not feeling tight, but until than I will continue to use the HydraForce Hydra-Protective Comforting Creme to help keep my skin hydrated. I am glad I was given the chance to try out the new HydraForce Hydra-Protective Creme and Hydra Detect tool. I will continue to check on the hydration levels in my skin with the Hydra Detect tool, its a gadget and who doesn't love playing with those!

It's a good thing I have a sister that is an eye shadow hoarder! Thanks to her I was able to try out the new Kat Von D - Shade & Light Eye Contour Quad in Rust without using up one of my alotted eyeshadow palette purchases for the year! I am glad she picked out the Rust shade as that was the one I was looking at to. I thought for sure she would pick up the Plum Quad, she loves purples. The Kat VOn D Shade & Light Eye COntour Quads each retail for $34.00 CAD, which isn't to bad as I could only really find a dupe for one shade in this quad in my collection. The shades are all different even from the Shade & Light Eye palette, swatches here.

Kat Von D - Shade & Light Eye Contour Quad in Rust

I love the packaging on the new Quads, it is a hard plastic that doesn't feel cheap. The compact does have a mirror inside, and the lid doesn't flop around! The picture above is showing how much the quad opens, about a 45 degree angle. The shadows are soft and pigmented and so easy to work with. You also get a look card inside with hints on how to use the shades in the Quads.

The tip sheet inside the Kat Von D Quad in Rust.

The tip sheet inside the Rust quad gives you some tips on how to give the illusion of lifted eyes. I followed the instructions and did find my eyes looked more awake. I am sure you could use the same principles with any quad you have, just use similar contrasting shades.

Highlight - warm light beige with a slight satin finish, just enough light to it for a gret browbone highlight

All the shades in the quad are pigmented and blend easily. All the shades have a matte finish except the highlight shade which has a slight satin finish. I was a bit nervous that the 'Contour' shade wouldn't blend the easiest but I was pleasantly surprised at just how easy it was. I recieved a lot of compliments when I used the quad, it really does make blueish eyes 'pop'.

I really liked all the shades in the Rust quad but the shade that drew me in first was the 'Contour' shade. When my sister was over the other night picking up her quad we were talking about that shade and she said 'I wonder how close it is to the orange shade, Fire, in the Stila-in the know palette' I had picked up quite awhile ago. The shade Fire is what had originally drawn me to that palette as well as it being all matte, which at the time was an oddity in eye shadow palettes. We decided to swatch them together and guess what! They are so close! So if you are drawn to the warm orange shade in this palette and are luck enough to have the Stila-in the know palette than you have a dupe!